Car-coupling



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet -1.

S. H. HARRINGTON.

OAR COUPLING.

No. 350,486. Patented 001;. 12, 1886-.

(No Model.)

7 2 SheetsFSheet 2.

S. H. HARRINGTON.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 350,486. Patented 0 1:. 12, 1886.

INVENTOR WITN ESSES':

UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

SAMUEL H. HARRINGTON, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

. -CAR-COUPL|NG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 350,486, dated October12, 1886.

' Application filed August 9,1886. Serial No. 210,413. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL H. HARRING- TON, of Columbus, Franklincounty, State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement inCar-Couplers, of which the following is a true and exact description,due reference being had to the drawings which accompany and form part ofthis specification.

My invention relates to car-couplers of the general character of thoseknown as verticalplane couplers, and is especially intended as animprovement on what is known in the market as the Bowling Coupler, andmy object is to improve such couplers and make. them better fitted forpractical use. Couplers of this kind, as they have heretofore been made,have had a latch consisting of a pinwith a projecting lug upon it, whichwas introduced by passing the pin with its lug through an opening in thebottom of the coupler, and secured in place by means of a pin insertedin its upper end. As this pin was all that held the latch in place, itsloss would permit it to fall out and be lost and in case of loss orbreakage of the latch the coupler became inoperative, as without thespecially-formed lug it was impossible to latch the coupler. Again, inthe Dowling as in nearly all vertical-plane couplers the knuckle ormovable jaw is generally combined with a spring,which forces the jawopen to its fullest extent, and keeps it so until it is closed by astronger force. These springs are frequently broken by the shock of twocars meeting to make a coupling, and, besides this, they necessitate aharder blow or shock to make a coupling than would otherwise benecessary, since their resistance must be overcome. Another difficultywhich has been met with in these couplers has been in.

the devices used to unlatch the coupler knuckle or jaw when it isdesired to uncouple two cars, which devices must be actuated from theplatform or sides of the car. Many of those which have been tried havebeen found defective and liable to be broken or get out of order, whileothers more efficient are comparatively expensive.

My invention consists, in the first place, in adapting the coupler to belatched by means of a straight pin of a uniform cylindrical or otherplain outline such, for instance, as an ordinary coupling-pinwhich canbe introduced from the top of the coupler, in a specially-formedlatch-pin adapted to be'used in this way, and in adapting the coupler tothe use of this special pin; secondly, in the combination, with theknuckle of the coupler, of a chain secured to it and to the end of thecar near its corner, so that the knuckle or jaw may be opened by pullingon the chain; and, thirdly, in the device, hereinafter fully described,and illustrated in the drawings, consisting of a chain attached to aneyebolt or staple at the end of the platform, and a cam actuated by ashaft resting in bearings upon the edge of the platform or end sill ofthe car, and 1 having a lever secured to it, by which it may be turned,the arrangement being such that the chain never becomes slack to such adegree as to endanger its getting between the bufier and end sill andbeing crushed, and the parts being so arranged that the action ofwithdrawing the latch-pin may be very rapidly performed, and at the sametime the weight of the pin and chain counterbalanced when the latchpinis raised, so that the latch may remain inoperative, if desired.

Reference is now had to the drawings which illustrate my invention, andin which Figure l is a front side view of my'improved coupler with theknuckle or jaw closed 5 Fig. 2, a similar view showing the jaw open;Fig. 3, a plan view of my coupler with the upper part cut away to showthe parts of the jaw inclosed in the body of the coupler and the latch,the jaw being shown as closed. Fig. 4 is also a plan view showingsimilar parts to Fig. 3, the jaw being open. Figs. 5 and 6 are views ofmy coupler similar, respectively, to Figs. 1 and 2, the body of thecoupler being cut away to show the latch-pin, its bearings, and a frontside view of the knuckle or jaw. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of thecoupler. I perspective view of the jaw or knuckle O C. Fig. 9 is a,perspective view of the end of a car having my improved coupler andappliances for opening the jaw and for lifting the latch-pin andmaintaining it.out of operation. Fig. 10 is an enlarged view ofthelifting-cam, showing its attachment to its actuating-shaft insection; and Figs. 11 and 12 are respectively side and edge views (thelatter partly Fig. Sisa in section) of the lifting-cam, showing asomewhat different method of securing it upon the shaft to that shown inFig. 10.

A is the main body of the coupler, which,

as shown, is like the Bowling coupler, having a recessed chamber, B,with an opening between the projecting cylindrical formation B and thewall B, (see Figs. 3 and 4.) into which the end 0 of the movable jaw Cis inserted, the jaw or knuckle having a cylindrical recess, 0, whichfits upon the projection B, upon which the knuckle 0 turns as on ahinge. The surface C is a segment of a cylinder having its centercorresponding with the center of the hinge at B, and therefore fitssnugly against the wall B and closes the recessed chamber B against theadmission of dirt. The surface 0 is also cylindrical, and of the samecurvature as the surface 0", or substantially so. At 0 this surface iscut away upon the upper part of the face of the arm 0'', and for adistance corresponding to the angular motion which it is desired the jawor knuckle shall have, and at C it is cut away entirely for a breadthequal to the diameter of the pin to be used as a latch, or nearly so.The cutting away of the faceof the arm 0, as described, will of courseform a vertical shoulder, C", and a horizontal shoul der, U, as shown inFigs. 3, 4-, 5, 6, and 8, besides forming the vertical groove G D is apin, preferably round, which is inserted through a hole, E, formed inthe top of the coupler, and so placed that the pin shall fit neatlyalong the groove 0 when the jaw G is closed, as shown in Fig. 5. Iprefer to form the lower end of this pin D into a smaller pin, D, whichmay pass through a hole, E, in the bottom of the coupler and serve as aguide to keep the latchpin in place. A pin, 12, in' the end of thisguide will prevent the withdrawal of the latch-pin, and a shoulder, d,is of course formed where the latch D and guide D unite. That portion ofthe surface 0" which lies be low the shoulder C is so curved that it canpass the guide-pin D, but not the latch-pin D.

F is a hole for a coupling-pin, which is formed in the knuckle or-jaw O,and by means of which the cars may, when desired, be coupled with anordinarylink. Another pin, D D, may be carried in it and serve theordinary purposes of a link coupling-pin, while at the same time it isalways ready for use as a latchpm.

From what I have said the mode of use of this latch-pin will beapparent. The end 0 of the jaw O is inserted in the cavity B and the jawclosed. The pin D may then be passed freely through the opening E, itsend D passing through the opening E, and the shoulder d resting on thebottom of the chamber B, as shown in Fig. 5. The retaining-pin d is theninserted, and will prevent the withdrawal of the latclrpin. While thepin D is in. this position, asshown in Fig. 5, it fits closely in thegroove C" and locks the jaw or knuckle O in its closed position, asshown in Figs. 1, 3, 5,

and 7. When'it is desired to open the coupler, the pin D is raised untilits shoulder (1 comes to a level withv or above the shoulder 0 when thecoupler may be opened, the recessed surface 0 affording room for the endof the pin D as the jawitnrns around the hinge B, and the shoulder 0serving to prevent too great a movement by the jaw or the withdrawal ofthe jaw from the recess B. In case the pin D D is lost or broken anyordinary couplingpin may be used in its place, the hole It and.

the recesses in the arm 0 of thejaw G being adapted for a pin of theordinary size of a coupling-pin.

Referring now to Sheet 2, G G, Fig. 9, represent the end sill of afreight-car. Upon this end sill, or upon the platform should the carhave one, are secured bearings H H, in which a shaft, J, is supportedand turns. Upon the shaft J, and above the latch-pin D, is secured acam, K, having a lug or other device, K, to which a chain may beattached, and a grooved face, K. In the bearing-surface of this cam iscut a slot, K, and in the shaft J is secured a pin, L, which projectsinto the slot K. (See Figs. 10, 1.1, and 12.) A chain, M, is secured tothe head of the latch-pin l) and to the lug K of the cam, K, the chainlying in the grooved face K of the cam.

N is a lever secured to the shaft J. It may lie horizontally along theplatform or vertt cally over its edge, as shown in Fig. 9.

As shown in Fig. 9, the latch-pin. is in the position where it looks thejaw G in its closed position, and the cam K, with its shaft J" and leverL, in their corresponding positions, and, as is shown, the chain. M,while loose, is not so slack as to run any danger of getting between thebufler and the end sill. 'When it is desired to raise the pin 1), thelever N is turned, the shaft J turning with it, but the cam-sector K notbeing affected until the pin L has moved through the slot K and come incontact with the shoulder it", when the cam will be raised, and by meansof the chain M will raise the pin D and unlatch the jaw (J. The leverNmay, by this device of the slotted cam K, be moved. through a large arc,(say ninety degrees,) while the cam K moves through a much smaller are,and the weight of the lever may, if desired, be made to balance theweight of the pin, chain, and cam, and hold the pin up, if it is notdesired to make a coupling.

0 is a chain attached at one end to a lug, It, on the jaw G, and at itsother end to an eyebolt or staple at the under side of the end sill orplatform, near the corner of the car, where the brakeman can easily getat it without going between cars. the jaw is opened when not latched.

Having now described my invention, what 3'. claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The combination of the knuckle or jaw0, having an arm, 0, formed as specified, and the coupler-body A, havinga perforation, E,

By drawing on this chain in its upper face, whereby a straight pin ofthe dimensions of an ordinary coup1er-pin may be introduced to serve asa latch-pin, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination of the knuckle or jaw 0, having an arm, 0, formed asspecified, and the coupler-body A, having a perforation, E, in its upperface, and a smaller perforation, E, in its lower face, whereby it isadapted to receive a special pin, D D, or a straight pin of thedimensions of an ordinary coupler-pin may be introduced to serve as alatch-pin, substantially as shown and described. 7

The combination of the knuckle O 0, formed substantially as described,the couplerbody A, having a recess, B, and perforations E E, and the pinD, having a guide rod or pin, D, all substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

4. In combination with a coupler having a movable jaw or knuckle,substantially as speoified, a chain, 0, attached directly to said jaw atone end and to or near the corner of the car at its other end, asdescribed, so as to afford a means of opening the jaw and of retainingit in its open position. i

5. In combination with an actuating-shaft and lever, J and N, journaledon the car-body, the cam K, having a slotted bearing, K and engagingwith the shaft J by means of a pin, L, the chain M, secured to the cam,and a latchpin, D, all substantially as and for the pur pose shown anddescribed.

SAML. H. HARRINGTON.

